Electroplating apparatus.



G. A. LUTZ.

BLBGTROPLATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JANJ. 1911.

15,922,4874 Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. A. LUTZ.

BLBGTROPLATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION PILEDJANJ. 1911.

1,022,487., Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

M W5-WWW f* MSW and useful Improvements in Electroplating GEORGE A. LUTZ, 0F PLAINFIELD, NEW CVERSJEIY, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN CIRCULAR LOOM COMPANY, 0F PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

ELECTROPLATING .APPARATUS Application led January 7,

To all Iwiz-0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LUrz, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new Apparatus, of which the following 'is specification.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means adapted to permit simultaneous plating on the interior land exterior of hollow articles, such as pipes and conduits, and to enable a large number of such articles to be simultaneously and expeditiously'plated.

InV carrying out my invention' I provide a frame or spider (adapted to be suspended over a suitable tank) having a series of hollow supports for.-,articles to be plated, andv another frameor spider adapted to be suspended over the first named frame or spider', provided with means for supporting a series of anodes adapted to pass through the iirst named hollow supports and into the pipes or other articles hanging from said supports, nieans-being'provided to permit the anodes to have free passage into and from said hollow supports and the articles to be plated when the frame carrying the anodes is raised and lowered.

Further features of my invention will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompany'- ing drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure 1 is a plan View of frame/or spider 11itor supporting articles to .be plated; Fig. 2 is a partly sectional side ele:- vation illustrating' my improvements in position, the section being taken substan-l tially on the plane of the line 2, 2, in Fig. 1; Fig. 2a is a` partly sectional detail view ot' the anode and cathode frame as adjusted for use in Fig. 2; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of part of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4, 4, in Fig, 3, and Fig. 5 is'a section on the line 5, 5, in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

At 1 is a suitable tank adapted to contain an electrolyte, and at 2, 3, Llare seriesof circularly disposed anodes suspended within tank 1 from conductors` 5, 6, 7 car- `(riedloy said tank in any suitable manner,

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912. 1911. serial No. 601,346.

posed contact plate or head 16 and radially disposed conductor arms or bars 17 secured toand projecting therefrom, (Fig. l) the ends of which arms are adapted to lit in the supports 11 for retaining said spider in position over tank 1, (Fig. 2). At 18 are annular bars secured upon arms 17 as by clips 19 receiving screws 20. Bars 18 are shown spaced apart and hollow sockets or supports 21 depend from andA between said bars, (Figs. 2ZL and 4;). The hollow or tubular sockets or supports 21 are movably supported to permit swinging in the spaces between bars 18 as required, for which purpose said. sockets or supports are shown provided with substantially spherically disposed heads 21a received in suitable sockets supported by bars 18.v I have shown the last named sockets comprising blocks ,22 having caps 22"- secured in position by screws 23 passing through said caps and blocks and into bars 18, the blocks and caps 22, ,22"L being provided with corresponding seats or sockets 24e, 24al against whichY the heads 21a fit so as to swivel or swing Ain various directions, (Figs. 2a and 4). The upper parts of caps 22a are open at 22b in line with the boresin sockets or supports 21.

`Suitable means may be provided 'for/sus pending from sockets or supports 21 the articles to be plated. When pipes having external threads are to be plated I provide connectors on couplings 25 attached to the lower ends of supports 21, which connectors ,or couplings are shown provided with inthe electrolyte or solution Amay penetrate more or less to the threads of tie ipe and engage the top portions of the plpes.

' At 30- is an anode spider or frame adapted to be suspended abovey the spider or frame.

pipes 15, see Fig. 2*?. Anodes 32 are provided at suitable intervals with insulation 33 of such dimensions as to permit the same to slide within supports 21 and pipes 15 and yet keep anodes 32 from contact therewith. Plates 16 of said spiders or frames are provided with loops or eyes 16a adaptedto be hung from tackle or the like 35 extending from a crane or overhead support for moving said spiders and frames as required.

To plate hollow articles simultaneously on the interior and the exterior the articles, such as pipes 15, are attached to sockets or supports '21 of cathode frame 14 and the latter is then lowered over the tank so that its arms 17 rest upon and are secured to supports l1, whereby the pipes 15 are adjacent to the anodes 2 that are outside of said pipes. Spider or frame 30 is then brought-over spider 14 and lowered so that the anodes 32 pass through the corresponding sockets or supports 21 and pipes 15,..

and anode spider 30 is held suspended a suitable distance above spider 14 so as to be insulated from the latter, which may be done by retaining anode spider 30 upon its tackle 35. One or `more conductors 36, which are attached to ,the plate or plates 8,

are provided with Vplugs or contacts 37 which are adapted to be inserted in sockets 'or jacks 38 attached to arms 17 of anode Vspider 30 (Fig. '2), whereby the outer anodes 2, 3, 4, and the inner anodes 32 are in circuit in the positive sides of the main line. The current will then flow from anodes 2, 3, 4 through the electrolyte to the'outer surfaces of the pipes 15 and from the inner anodes 32 through the electrolyte within the pipes to the inner surfaces of the latter, and

thence the current will flow through pipes 15 and the cathode spider 17 through supports 11 and conductor 12. The exterior and interior of the pipes or hollow articles will thus be simultaneously plated, and when the plating is eiiected spider 30 will be raised and moved to one side to remove anodes 32' from pipes 15, and then spider .14 will be raised to permit detachment of the plated pipes and replacement of other pipes or articles to be plated. The swiveling of sockets or supports 21 and anodes '32- upon their respective spiders or frames enables a relativelyflarge number of articles to' be plated on th`e interior and exterior simultaneously, asl the anodes 32 will be enabled :to pass freely through. sockets or supports 21 and pipes- 15 without danger of injury,'as each anode 32 may accommodate itself to the corresponding socket or l support 21 and pipe 15 as spider 30 is .low-

eredand raised.

' Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank, a cathode frame provided with hollow connectors for articles Ito be plated, means to support said cathode frame over the tank; an anode frame, anodes suspended therefrom and extending within the hollow connectors; means lto support the anode frame above the vcathode frame out of circuit therewith; a second set of anodes, and

means for suspending the same within the tank.

2. An electroplating apparatus compris- I ing a tank, a cathode frame provided with hollow connectors for articles to be plated,

means to support said cathode frame over Athe tank; an anode frame, anodes suspended therefromy and extending within the 'hollow connectors; 4means to, support the anode frame vabove the cathode frame out of c1rcuit therewith; a second set of anodes, means' for suspending the same within the tank',

.and means connecting the rst and second named anodes in thesame side of a circuit.

3. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank,.a cathode frame, hollow connectors movably connected with said frame to support articles to be plated, means to support said cathode frame over the tank, an anode frame, anodes suspended therefrom and extending within the hollow connectors, means to support the anode frame above the cathode frame out of circuit therewith, asecond set of anodes, and means for suspending the same within the tank.

4. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank, a cathode frame,'hollow connectors movably connected with said frame -to support articles to be plated, means to support said cathode frame over the tank,

an anode frame, anodessuspended therefrom and extending within the hollow connectors, means to support the anodeframe labove the cathode frame out of circuit therewith, a second set of anodes, means for suspending lthe same within the tank, and means connecting said anodes in the same side of a circuit. 5. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank, a cathode frame `provided with` hollow connectors for articles to be, plated, means to support lsaid cathode f ra'me over the tank, an anode frame, means for movably suspending anodes from the' anode frame toj extend within the 'hollowjcor nectors, means to support the anode 'frame above the cathode frame out of circuit therewith, a second set of anodes, means for suspendm the same within the tank, and

- meansto connect said anodes in the same side of a circuit.

7. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank, means to support anodes therein, a frame, means to support said frame adjacent the tank, said frame being provided with sockets, hollow sockets movably retained in said first named sockets, and means to support a second set of anodes within said supports. I

8. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank, means to support anodes therein, a cathode frame, means to support said frame adjacent the tank, said frame being pro-A vided with sockets,.hollow sockets movably retained in said first named sockets, an

anode frame provided with means to support a second set of anodes within said hollow sockets, and means to support the anode frame abov'e the first named frame.

9. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank, means to support anodes therein, a cathode frame, means to support said frame adjacent the tank, said frame being provided with sockets, hollow sockets movably retained in said first named sockets, an anode frame provided with sockets, a second\set of anodes provided with heads movably retained in said sockets, and means to support the anode frame over said hollow sockets.

10. An electroplating apparatus comprising a tank, meais to support anodes therein, a frame, hollow connectors carried by said frame and provided with slotted portions to permit the flow ofelectrolyte within said connectors, and meansv to suspend anodes within said connectors. 1

11.A frame for an electroplatmg apparatus comprising a supporting member, sockets carried thereby,ihollow sockets movably connected with said first named sockets and Ielectrolyte,

supported thereby, and means to support i articles from said hollow sockets.

1 2. A frame for an electroplating apparatus comprising a supporting memberhaving spaces, sockets carried by said member in line with said spaces, hollow sockets `mov ably suspended in said first.' named sockets and having ree motion within said spaces and means to connect articles to said sockets.

18. A frame for an electroplating apparatus comprising bars spaced apart, sockets carried by said bars, hollow sockets movably carried by said first named sockets, and

means to support articles from said hollow` sockets.

14. `A frame for an electroplating apparatus comprising outwardly disposed arms, bars secured to said arms, sockets supported by said bars, hollow sockets carried by said first named Jsockets, and means to support v articles from the hollow sockets.

15. A frame for an electroplating apparatus comprising outwardly disposed'conductor arms, circularly disposed bars" secured to said arms, sockets carried said bars, hollow sockets movably carried by said first named sockets, and means to attach articles to said hollow sockets.

16. A frame for an electroplating apparatuscomprising a supporting member, blocks carried by said member provided with seats,`

hollow supports having parts fitting said seats, caps on the blocks ,having openings alined with the bores of said supports, and means to attach articles to said supports.

17. A trame for an electroplating apparatus comprising a supportingmember, blocks carried by said member and provided with seats, hollow supports having heads movably fitted to said seats, caps on said blocks provided with openings alined with the bores in said supports, and means to attach articles to said supports. A

18. A frame for an electroplating apparatus comprising a supporting member, hollow supports attached thereto, ing provided with threaded couplings having slotted portions for the admission of the and means to. attach articles to said couplings.

said supports bef Signed at New York city, in tle county of i 

